25-03-2010 Katatonia

Supports: Long Distance Calling, Swallow the Sun; Venue: Alpheus, Rome (Italy)
By: Lara Cappelli

Katatonia’s New Night Over Europe Tour reached Italy for three dates, Milan, Rome and Cervia. On the 25th they played in Alpheus, a small venue nearby the center of Rome.

When Long Distance Calling entered the stage, quite no one had realized that the show was actually starting. I have to admit that I had already checked them out on Myspace and their kind of instrumental rock music didn’t stun me at all. Same it was for the first part of the show. The audience didn’t seem much interested in paying them any attention, but this somehow changed after the first couple of songs. The guys were motivated in delivering a noteworthy show, and their effort proved to be fundamental in drawing the attention of the crowd that after all seemed to enjoy their music. Everyone of them was really grateful for that, especially guitarist Flo who was the one who interacted more with the audience, trying to talk and joke around with them. His stage presence was much more relevant paired to the other’s and then again that went in favour of the whole performance.

Up next was Swallow The Sun, a Doom Metal band from Finland. Where Long Distance Calling went almost unheeded, Swallow The Sun seemed to be long awaited by quite some people in the audience. Maybe that’s also thanks to the fact it wasn’t their first time in Rome as they happened to play there also last December and gained a positive response then.
In the beginning Mikko Kotamäki’s voice was almost unhearable and Aleksi Munter had some problems with his keyboards, but after a while it all easily got solved and Swallow The Sun could start off with the show. One thing I noticed is that the guys didn’t seem on top form, but on the contrary very tired. Nevertheless, that didn’t influence not a bit the way the band brought its music to the audience; end on the show quite anyone had been convinced and acclaimed them both during and after every song.

It was finally time for Katatonia. What has always fascinated me about this Swedish band’s music is the mixture of heavy melodies soothed by Jonas Renkse smooth voice. That being said, I can now assert this balance sounded to my ears even more fascinating in a live situation. Katatonia delivered a hell of a show, made solid by an everlasting setlist, that comprised both past and recent works for a total of twenty songs. The venue was filled and you could easily notice that by the loudness of it. When out of his shock of hair, singer Jonas didn’t save neither one smile for the crowd. Right him took some time to introduce the two replacements of brothers Fredrik and Mattias Norrman, who left the band in December: Per Eriksson on the guitars and Niklas Sandin on the bass. The two didn’t act like actual “replacements”, their attitude was more of official band members that contributed in entertaining the audience with the rest of the band. There hasn’t been neither one fault which could move away this show from being memorable and a real success from any point of view.